Reconciliation, also called Confession or the Sacrament of Penance, is one of the seven sacraments Catholics believe were instituted by Jesus Christ himself.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is a sacrament in which the priest, as the agent of God, forgives sins committed after Baptism, when the sinner is heartily sorry for them, sincerely confesses them, and is willing to make satisfaction for them.

By his death on the Cross, Jesus Christ redeemed man from sin and from the consequences of his sin, especially from the eternal death that is sin’s due.

So it is not surprising that on the very day he rose from the dead, Jesus instituted the sacrament by which people’s sins could be forgiven, when Christ speaks to the apostles after his Resurrection.

JOHN 20:22-23

Receive the Holy Spirit.

For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.

The priest will welcome you. Begin by making the Sign of the Cross.

A simple formula can get you going: “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was ___ days/months/years ago and these are my sins.”

You then share with the Priest your brokenness and sinfulness.

The priest may offer you counsel and give you an appropriate penance to show that you are repentant.

The priest then invites you (the penitent) to make an Act of Contrition. There are no required words, although you need to include that you are sorry and that you will amend your life. A commonly used Act of Contrition is the following:

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to good, I have sinned against You, whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy.

The priest then prays the prayer of absolution (forgiveness):

God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church, may God give you pardon and peace. I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

You answer, “Amen.”

The priest may then say, “God has forgiven your sins. Go in peace.”

You respond, “Thanks be to God.”

You then leave and as soon as possible complete the penance the priest has assigned to you.

Confession is one part of the sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation; completing your penance is the other part.

Believe it or not, going to confession is the easy part. The hard part is actually amending our life so that we do not commit these sins again.

For this, we need God’s abundant grace through the Eucharist, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.